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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. press — a publisher
  8. land — to come down
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — a country
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cue — a hint
  22. dip — to sink
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com